What would happen to you/your family if there were NO benefits/welfare system?

[Mamajoycewig]

As there's been a lot of talk around benefits in the news and a lot of strong opinions on it I was interested to know what would happen to most people if there were no welfare system in place?

Would your family suffer? Would you be on the streets?

Would you have still had kids knowing if you couldn't work there'd be no government backup?

Would you have made different life choices?

Personally, if all benefits were to be removed tomorrow then we'd be the same financially other than losing child benefit which we use for nappies/wipes etc.

My mum and brother would be screwed as he's disabled. Although if I'm honest I don't think she'd have had as many kids as she did without any top ups (4 kids). She's always worked but needed top ups.

In the future my daughter will probably claim PIP so that will save me money as I won't need to support her as much.

Right now very little effect. I'd lose CB for 2 DC (though dropping to one DC end August anyway)

It would affect my wider family more in the present and historically (1980s) we would have been homeless. We were housed by the council.

In terms of wider society I'm sure we'd all feel it. Wider poverty leads to unrest and troubling/difficult times for any society.

What about impacts on heath care and education?

There'd be a massive ripple effect for sure.

A good welfare state protects the vulnerable and by extension everyone.

I would probably have to reduce my hours at work, I work full time but still receive UC top ups which are mostly childcare fees. I couldn't afford to pay for childcare to work full time without benefits.

Nothing.

For all you know that may be the only time they go out ? It’s easy to criticise but you probably know nothing about her circumstances really

None. Would this mean I get more taxes back?

Someone on benefits shouldn't have a weekly treat of a 3£ coffee? Dfod

Maybe they should only drink water and eat gruel ffs

No difference. I assume I’d get the NI in my pay packet and be better off

I can't believe you begrudge somebody who works at Aldi and has three kids a coffee once a week at Starbucks.

When I think about how many people need benefits just to keep a roof over their heads I realise just how vital our welfare really is and should be protected.

Top up benefits support so many families due to low wages.

I was speaking to my hairdresser who's from a country with no welfare system. I asked her what would happen to a single mum who couldn't work for whatever reason. She said if family didn't take them in then they'd just literally live on the streets.
It's not uncommon for people to work 3 jobs. She said she'd be a hairdresser during the day and then work in a supermarket in the evenings 6 days a week. Then on Sundays she'd do a cleansing job in the morning. So she only got half a day a week with her daughter. She said it wasn't unusual.

I asked what happened to disabled people and she said family would look after them. But if your family couldn't they'd just literally be on the streets and beg or die.

I don't think stopping benefits would stop people having kids either even with free contraception. So child poverty would be through the roof.

She doesn’t begrudge her the coffee she begrudges her the needless top ups.

Spot on.

Our monthly budget would definitely miss the Child Benefit. £25/week for us is a decent amount of groceries/ helps with the gas bill in Winter.

We'd also feel the pinch if we lost the tax/NI savings associated with work related childcare vouchers.

I would have to support my adult DC with severe LD, both financially and physically.

It would finish me off.

We would have a lot more money than we do now and not be worrying about how we will pay bills when labour continue taking from the middle.

@drspouse not bus passes or the nhs. Just benefits like pip, DLA, universal credit, housing benefits, top ups etc. So cash benefits.

We'd be dead.

Or perhaps try to work full time? Everyone can spend their money all they want but not taxpayers money, your money really.

No impact - on min wage, no DC

Also I’m wondering why people earning over 100k who pay loads more tax aren’t eligible for the free childcare hours, when we know a couple of mortgage free, unemployed by choice people who are. Why is that fair?

It isn’t 🤷‍♀️

I would go back to work however my disabled children would suffer immensely and one would end their life.

I’m intrigued @Slav80 how you know so much of the private details of a check out lady’s life. I call bullshit. Even if you do I think that’s one of the most mean-spirited posts I’ve read in a long time.

it wouldn’t affect my personal finances. It would massively impact my life because of the effect it would have on wider society.

I would probably be dead. If not then my family definitely would have broken down and I would be homeless and have no income.

Forgot to add that we live in Scotland so currently receive free school meals (for all) up to P5 - it's meant to be P7 but that's not happened yet - free prescriptions and NHS dentistry. If we lost all that we'd be fucked.
All Scottish kids are also eligible for free public bus travel. That saved me £2 today!